Resilience is the successful adaptation to adversity. In fact, most research suggests that children overcoming adversity heal as resilient adults. Overcoming adversity improves socialization, creativity, and self-motivation.

In fact, it makes people capable to achieve more. Whenever there’s an obstacle, resilience enables you to conquer it. It’s that extra step, that 1% you can top everything with.

Any amount of adversity is like fighting a battle. One in which the odds are against you. When coming out triumphant, you overcome. It boosts your self-esteem and makes you better overall. And, as many studies suggest, it even alters your neural structure. Your brain changes to reflect resilience. Be it developmental resilience or otherwise.

But many of us haven’t faced realistic adversity. Indeed, our notions of adversity go hand in hand with humanitarian crisis. In lieu of these situations, how do you become more resilient? Besides, when facing conflict, loss is unavoidable. Some might argue that resilience is something you gain in exchange for what you lose. With this natural balance, there’s always a price to pay.

So here are several positive ways in which you can cultivate resilience and self-reliance at work. To make this all less stressful, we will make good use of clichés.

1. Begin with the end in mind

Habit 2 of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a Bruce Lee quote: “begin with the end in mind”. To do so, make it clear to yourself what it is that you want to achieve. And to that end you can plan an entire strategy.

Without doubt, this will be challenging. And so it should. What you want to achieve is a special ability – resilience. In evolutionary biology, this ability would actually be called a process. One in which a system (such as a person) recovers from adversity while maintaining composure. Think of it in proactive terms: being able to keep going in spite of obstacles.

What you need to figure out is what holds you back. Indeed, there is a lot of variance. Some people do well with work pressure and stress. Others do well with time management. And there are those that claim to do well with little sleep.

It seems that for each obstacle there’s a way to go around it. Or even the person best equipped to do it. Essentially, clarify what exactly resilience would do for you. What’s more, this is the first part of goal-setting. And goal-setting is in itself resilience building. At work, most of all, you have an abundance of tasks to practice this step.

2. Always prepare for change

Let’s make this clear. You cannot be caught unprepared if you expect things to change. And change will occur. And even if it doesn’t, that’s the exception that proves the rule. In either case, you won’t wallow in shock and self-pity. Instead, you will be able to act.

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And being able to act as quickly as possible makes you resilient. How fast you act when things change can influence the outcome as much as how well you act. Because that’s precisely it. You shouldn’t trade quality for speed. Instead, trade shock for presence of the mind. Develop your ability to stay in the moment and deal with the toxicity of shock.

Besides, you’ve already set goals on being more resilient. Hence, you know what you want to achieve. This personal change is to become the new truth. The new you. And that gives you the only real control one can have.

3. Self-confidence is a self-reliant prophecy

Most often than not, that thing is fear. Being confident and being afraid are constant opposites. But you’ve already conquered your sense of change. The sensible thing about change is that it’s unlikely. The real thing about change is that it’s a constant. Once you’ve internalized what’s real about change, you have nothing to fear.

By the same token, accepting change means that you have realistic control. You can now focus on those things under your control. And have no worry about anything else. You will be surprised about how little control you have. At the same time, you will be surprised about how much control you can have.

Either way, you are to act decisively, without reservation. Your actions are to be carried out without a doubt. Hence, if you believe in yourself, then you are right in believing in yourself. And best of all, you can never let yourself be the victim.

4. Win friends, influence people, be resilient

To win friends, listen. To influence people, teach, coach, mentor. It’s that simple. Most of us don’t listen because our expectations already satisfy our curiosity. There’s little interest in what the other person has to say.

Resilient people are always interested in getting more data. You know, that type that isn’t self-produced. That’s because more data means an improved chance to overcome. But there’s more to this. Sure, there is a great deal of power in networking. Knowing people helps you have the right connections at the right time. But that’s also tiresome.

The other way to go about networking is to have a large set of people ready to confirm your reality. The one that you’ve so struggled to maintain. Out of which you’ve already pruned the bad and the ugly. Your network is what you fall back on. Be it that you need advice or anything else. Resilient leadership is built on a network.

Hence, be kind, be respectful, and never put yourself at the center. Let everything else put you at the center. True resilience inspires and motivates. It’s as easy as “don’t try to do it, try to be it.” Or “show, don’t tell.”

So next time there’s an opportunity for you to share knowledge, do so. But make sure you act on an actual need. Otherwise, stay away. Also, always take your time to mentor. Take advantage of this opportunity to win friends and influence people. Besides, mentoring is both tough and rewarding.

Overall, becoming more resilient is within your grasp. Moreover, there are countless work opportunities to train self-reliance. Stay on-task and try to actualize on these opportunities.